8 days left

In exactly one week I will have all my bags packed, hand the key back over to my landlord, and leave Jocotan, at least for now.  I have a couple last week items to figure out, and well there will be lots unfinished, but you have to leave someday.  Then I'll be on a plane adventuring through central america a little and back to the United States of America.  I miss you America.

Love,
Robin

It's done.

We inaugurated the Library last Wednesday, 22nd of September in front of the building with the mayor, here's the blurb I wrote for the Peace Corps Washington Bulletin: (the local and national news came too, I'm trying to get a copy of the footage to load on youtube)

Modern Public Library Opening in Jocotán, Chiquimula

Peace Corps Guatemala is proud to report that Wednesday morning on September 22nd 2010 the project “Creating a Modern Library” was inaugurated in the Municipality of Jocotán, Chiquimula. The project coordinator and Peace Corps Volunteer, Robin Mae Schick, celebrated this day with local children, parents, teachers, the director of the health center, school principals, superintendents, municipal co-workers, members of the town council, and the mayor of Jocotán, Ramón Diaz. Representatives from Peace Corps, Save the Children, Outreach for World Hope, USAID – Education Reform in the Classroom, and the Riecken Foundation, whom have all supported this project, were also present. The inauguration was directed by the newly formed Jocotán Community Library Board of Directors who now takes ownership of the project and will be responsible for supporting the activities of the library along with the Mayor’s office. The Municipal Library “Hector Manuel Vasquez Lopez” of Jocotán has been completely changed, what once was a closet with old dusty books and cracked walls is now an active, community-based, modern, educational center with a new attitude. The Library of Jocotán currently offers more than 1,000 new books, 6 computers, a children’s corner full of interactive resources, a multi-use photocopier, a white board, a comfortable sofa and arm chair, and much more to create a functional and inviting space. This change would have not been possible without donations from the above mentioned institutions along with Computers for Guatemala, the National Library of Guatemala, the Rotary Club of Chiquimula, Grace Methodist Church, several private donors from the United States, and various book donations from many. Furthermore the project is awaiting the connection to high-speed internet donated by the Mancomunidad Copán-Chorti, and 2 full set encyclopedias donated from Encyclopedia Britannica which are currently on their way to Guatemala. Access to public information is a fundamental part of development, especially here in Guatemala. This project gives neighbors of Jocotán a real opportunity to continue learning each day and teach their children how to achieve a better future with the power of education.

 

It's almost over!!!! haha, it's been great but I can't wait to come home and see everyone.

Board of Directors Search

Here's a quick update about what's been going on other than mudslides and lots of rain.

We're working so hard in the library but it's really coming along and I'm so excited!!!!  The inauguration date is the 22nd of September and I'm hoping to have the the Board of Directors formed and ready by the 17th.  I've been busy doing an inventory of all the donations, legalizing the responsibilities with the mayor, along with computer installations, painting doors, and hanging whiteboards.

Here are photos, of all the activity:

Update in Fotos

BASTA YA, the theater production with the Youth Group Fantasicos Amigos, at the Orphanage SOS Aldea Infantil about Violence and Issues that Face Guatemala in Today's World.

Painting and Organizing in the Library, and lots of cleaning!

The Library is now painted, all the bookshelves are cleaned and sparkling like new again, over 1,000 have been categorized in the Dewey Decimal System and we have many more to go, Britannica has donated a full 20 volume encyclopedia which Brian Gouldman will be shipping here asap, Outreach for World Hope has made an enormous contribution of $1,400 to buy a fotocopier and other resources and donated a couch/chair set for a place to sit and read comfortably, Save the Children has donated a Childrens Corner with books, games, carpet and lots of pillows! And of course the HUNDREDS of books you all back home have donated through Amazon and sent in cash donations.  The Library is looking fabulous as each day we work getting everything ready.  By this Friday I hope to have pictures of more or less the final product!  I'd like to have the inaguration the September 10th, but I don't have confirmation on that just yet.

More photos to come, my camera just ran out of battery to upload them :(

Miss you all,

Peace,

Love,

Robin

So much to tell!

I have been so busy here!  I didn't even post in the whole month of July!  Just so you know I'm alive and doing better than ever.  I have so much news.

View of the Copan River that goes through Jocotan

First, the library. We are painting!!!! it's an act of God.  When you least expect it, great things happen.  Save the Children, an international NGO is donating a bebeteca (a library section for babies!) and had funds to paint.  Initially they were only budgeted to paint their section, but after seeing the place and me begging them, they found an extra few gallons of paint and now the Mayor (of all people!) sent municipal workers to paint it.  Hopefully they will be done tomorrow or the next day.  It's a BRIGHT lime green, and I love it. It's full of energy and definately changes the space completely.  Then, last Friday I got an email from Outreach for World Hope say that they not only fundraised the amount they had pledged to buy the photocopier, but more than doubled it and now are sending $1,400 in donations!  Then, on top of that I talked to the MANCOMUNIDAD (a local organization here in Jocotan) today and they are going to pay for and install internet for the computers!
The community meeting we had went well, and working with USAID and the Reiken Foundation is a dream come true.  They really know their stuff and so motivated.  I'm just praying that they extend the library/reading programs with us for next few years so that this library will really have a good base for success.


In other news, the orphanage is going great as well.  This Friday we will be presenting three short plays the kids wrote based on the theme of citizen awareness against violence.  The event is called "BASTA YA!" and will speak about the issues of drug addiction, prostituction, gangs, the police, robbery, and injustice.  I remind you, 10-14 year old kids wrote these plays on their own.  I think it's going to be a very powerful and important event to talk about these problems in Guatemala today.  Your all invited, just in case you happen to be around Chiquimula :-)

This week I am also very busy with coordinating classes in the village of Tesoro Abajo.  The classes are to teach about maintinance and care for your outhouse and health.  This is part of a project the local community council is soliciting with the government for new outhouses for 150 familias in their village.  I helped them write the proposal and have been the liason between the government agency and the community but after these classes they will be on their own, and hopefully the project is setup for completion the following year.

Other than all that, I have my close of service conference next week and will be in Antigua Monday thru Friday doing medical appointments and filling out paperwork to return back to the United States of America! wahoo!  I'll be home by Thanksgiving everyone, and I want to see you all.

Hopefully I'll have another chance soon to write more, I have much more to tell still but it's already getting late here so I need to get home.


Peace, Love,
Robin

Check out more about Chiquimula (this weekend is the town fair) at: http://www.chiquimulaonline.com/
and the Orphanage I do my kids group with: http://www.chiquimulaonline.com/sos/

Library, 4 monthes left

ok, I've started the countdown, 4 monthes... sometimes it seems like it's gone by so fast.  This Thursday I am meeting with the town council, the library, USAID, and some local residents to begin programs and work finally in the library!  This is very exciting because, well... if you've been reading this blog you know I have been very patient and frustrated with this whole process taking so long.  But we are finally getting somewhere on all fronts.  I am still recieving books and donations and have 6 computers ready to be set up for a virtual library.  The USAID program is working with the Dept. of Education Nationally and Regionally here in Chiquimula, and also with the Reiken Foundation which has 3 techs who are specialized in library functions and organization. 

We are first organizing and documenting each existing book (I already started this but there is still a lot to do) and teaching the librarian how to be a librarian.  Then we are chaning the space around, improving it for users and the books.  Reading/writting programs will begin as soon as possible after that.

I'm still working with the youth group at the orphanage which is going well.  This week we are dicussing the problem of violence in Jocotan to find a solution and sign a Promise Act against violence.

The San Juan Ermita Fair is this weekend, I know Kristy (the volunteer who was there) will be missed this year.  I'm going to try to go to see our friend Leo and eat the famous Tortillas de Harina that they make there. yum! =)

Guatemala Disaster

So for those of you who haven't heard about it on the news, Volcano Pacaya erupted last Thursday leaving ash all over the capital, Guatemala City, then on Saturday a huge tropical storm, Agatha, came through flooding a major part of the country.  This has left landslides, a giant sink hole, fallen bridges, lots of mud, and the airport closed for almost a week.  I luckily? was out of the country visiting some friends and couldn't return until today.  For pictures of the catostrophe you can go to http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/06/a_rough_week_for_guatemala.html

I've heard my house and town are fine and were minorly effected.  The capital has been a disaster.  Right now I'm just trying to make my way back to Jocotan, hopefully arriving tomorrow or the next day.  I'll keep you updated on further news once I get there.

Peace, Love,
Robin

New News

First off, I just want to say Thank-you to the people who still read this blog. I've been gone a long time and I'm glad I haven't been forgotten just yet ;)

Also, thank you very much for the books we have been recieving for the library project. It is always growing and will be a great success here. In recent news I haven't recieved any further confirmation from USAID or the muni on find the funding to restore the building, although I have a meeting this Friday in the capital where I'll learn about some new library electronic resources. The meeting is hosted by USAID so I'm hoping to check with them personally about the project then.

Since each day seems to be going by faster, and I have less and less time here I have also begun looking for Plan B, which is looking better every day. Plan B is to do the same thing I want to do now but instead of in the Municipal Library, complete the project in the Oraphange Community right outside town. Last Friday, when I was there for my Youth Group, I noticed they have a room with books and so I asked the secretary about it. Aparently they have a library, but basically not enough books or computers for it to function, soooo this project would be great there as well and the people who work there are very motivated and great to coordiante with. So for a Plan B, I think it's a pretty good option.

One of the great lessons from Peace Corps, have a Plan B and be patient and flexible, and patient, and strong, and still more patient... Nothing, especially not in Guatemala, changes in a day.

In other news I made cake and watched movies in my house this weekend, it was great.  The kids in the picture are wearing the traditional local dress for the Folklore Festival that was last weekend. =)

Peace, Love,
Robin

Amazon Book List

I still have some high priority books on the Amazon Wish List, here's the link:

http://amzn.com/w/3LEFGDRF2T287





I'm also looking for headphones for the Digital Encyclopedia, which are only $5, or you can send me your old ones for free!
http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/default.aspx?EDC=382512

May, Can it get any hotter?

So May has just begun and I'm still sweating like a little piggy. I thought April would bring enough rain to cool us down a little but it doesn't seem like it has at all. Now it's just getting humid, which as we all know is worse. On the up side we have electricity this week! Last week there were about 3-4 days where it flickered on and off. And unfortunately my running water is the color of poop because of the run-off of soil and actual poop into the river that feeds the public water. Awesome, I know.

For some good news, I've started working with a youth group at the local orphanage. The kids are great, man do they have a lot of energy. We voted on our group name, we are the Fantastic Amigos, and we're making a big flag this week and tye dying t-shirts. They are almost all in 5th or 6th grade, and want to play a lot of sports. I hope I can keep up with them! The theme of the group is "being a good citizen" so we will dabble in politics, do community clean-up projects, and generally try to be as democratic and fun as possible.

I'm uploading photos right now on webshots from my trip to Tikal in March and of the mural I was working on in the Childrens malnutricion rehabilitation center. The mural still isn't finished on one wall because I need more green paint, but it's look really nice and I'm pretty proud of it.


I also just got back from the yearly trip to El Salvador with my Muni for Labor Day. Six hours in a van each way and they don't let you sleep or they paint your face with lipstick, I think of it as like a frat hazing each year... (Drew, you know what I'm talking about.) The weather there was actually overcast which was really nice and everyone had a good time.

This month I have plans to continue fighting for the library as always, youth group activities, meetings with the community leaders in the villages, and soliciting a letrine project in Chiquimula. Oh! and I just realized it's Mother's Day this Sunday so maybe I can make cards or something with my kids for their house mothers... and Happy Mother's Day to my mom, the best ever! hugs and kisses, mom!

peace, love,
Robin

Semana Santa 2010

Well March turned out to be quite a month. I spent most of it traveling either for work or on vacation and am glad to be back in my house here in Jocotan for most of the month of April.



Semana Santa was celebrated as always with alfombras, processions, carnival food, and good friends. I finally got a chance to see Tikal, the most famous of mayan ruines in Guatemala. I went with several friends and another volunteer. We hiked, camped, and swam a lot. Mean while, since noone works for semana santa, the computers have been held up at port until this week. I spent all of the week before semana santa freaking out trying to get everything together just to have it all halted completely for a whole other week, but that's just the way it goes here. Anyway I think the pick-up date is scheduled for this Friday now. I'll send updates and pictures as soon as they are here.

The mayor didn't come to work today, surprise surprise, so most of the things I need to get done are waiting on his desk. This month we have many many communities to go to for voting in the new COCODE representatives, but I'm nervous after my Brava experience.

Aside from the muni I am soliciting a new marketing peace corps volunteer to my site in November to work with a women´s group who makes jewlery and purses from recycling. It's a really cool project, and all the women are amazing, so I hope they get a positive response from peace corps. Right now I just help them out a little by selling their products in Antigua, but they could really use a good website, publicity, and more organizational support. The best part is all the profit goes straight to women to need it the most by teaching them this skill and at the same time cleaning up the environment.

Well I guess that's enough for now. It's time for my refraccion (or snack time!), hoep everyone had a great Easter!

Peace, Love,

Robin

Problemas and my new nickname...

So today I was what you call in spanish 'enojada'

Recently we have being going out to the villages to elect the community leaders who will then participate at the local level of government to solicite projects and programs for thier villages.(COCODES) Each time we go out I get so frustrated with how horribly organized the elections are. In the last village they voted by someone from the mayor´s office going up to each person individually and asking the vote and annoucing it outloud over a microphone to mark it on a whiteboard in front of everyone.(which as you can imagine took forever! in the hot sun) I suppose this could be looked at as transperancy, it can also be looked at as manipulation, intimidation, and partiality considering the person asking for their vote is part of a political party himself and obviously has his own priorities.(He even told me so.) It kind of appauls me actually that they do it this way, especially when almost 40 people refused to give thier vote, and most women can barely speak up to their husband much less infront of the whole community with everyone watching.

But here's the problem, noone trusts anyone. Which I knew, but not really to this extent until today. Instead of explaining anything to me, my co-workers reaction to my "I want to better the system of votation" was "no we will not" and swiftly walking away from me. I found it extremely rude, considering he didn't even know my suggestion yet.

What I wished to propose today was a vote with beans and buckets. The idea is that each person has 1 bean or "vote" and each bucket represents the contendors, and you simply put your bean in the bucket of your choice. That way you don't have to write anything for those who can't and your not annoucing every vote on a loudspeaker. But apparently my co-worker doesn't agree because people are so mistrusting that they will say we rig the beans, that others rig the beans, or maybe even that the beans with rig themselves, who knows.

But since he never explained his point of view and just told me "no," well I got up some nerve and said to myself 'I'm tired of being ignored here, and my spanish is finally good enough to serve me, and I have something good to say and I am going to be heard g*d d*mn*t.' and went right up to him and told him to never talk to me like that again, that it was rude, and that I will be listened to and if you don't agree that's fine but I deserve a good answer.

Aparently I came off as a little fuerte (or strong). ok alot fuerte... I have now broken any image of being a nice, calm person, and have now adopted a new nickname. Brava.

I hope it serves me well.

Peace, Love, haha
Robin

Back from Vacation

Ok so I went on Vacation it was great... no. really really great... but now I'm back in Jocotan and it is Bloody Hot! I mean whoa what happened, I go on vacation and the sun jumped 1 million miles closer to Chuiquimula, Guatemala. I need another fan.


In work news, the 6 computers that have been donated arrive next week!!! The pictures are of the crate being loading and of the wonderful team from Computers for Guatemala state-side! I'll be going to pick them up the 26th. Also I have more donations for books that should be arriving this week, so all of this is exciting. If your interested in buying a book you still can on Amazon.(http://amzn.com/w/3LEFGDRF2T287) The books with HIGH PRIORITY are obviously the most needed, but each and every book helps!


I'm still working on the mural in the Health Center so I'm busy finishing that most nights. I'm also trying to get letrines for a community but right now the Mayor isn't seeing anyone because he's having legal trouble and I need his signature... I'm also working with a women's group that makes jewlery out of recycling, it's really cool and I'm helping them sell it in Antigua. This weekend I have to go to take a shipment of orders.

Then the 29th starts Semana Santa which if you've kept up with my blog already know is the biggest celebration of the year, possibly bigger than Christmas... I'm not sure what I'm doing for it this year, last year I scouted all the parade routes and hung out around town.

Ok so that's the quick update. Pictures to come!

Peace, Love,
Robin

Happy Valetine's Day

Hope you all had a good Valentine's Day. February has gone by quickly, seems like time here just gets faster and faster, except when it gets slower, :P The picture is of my favorite food here called the Tortilla de Harina (Flour Tortilla in english) and it is probably my equivalent of McDonalds fast, tastes great, tons of calories, and only Q15 (less than $2).

This weekend I'm painting a jungle/forest scene in the Kids Malnutrition Recovery section of our new health center, and I'll be painting underwater scenes in the bathroom. Lively colors, should be fun but I am basically doing it by myself so hopefully I can get it done in time before I go on vacation. I'll be traveling with my family in the beginning of March so I have a lot to finish before-hand because when I'm not here pushing these things nothing gets done, or the worst, a ton of things get done that I never knew about... I hope they don't take my desk computer while I'm gone.

We just had a baby shower in the office, she is hugely pregnant. Poor girl is so tiny and her stomach has to more than double her. I told her she would have it today, but it hasn't come yet, we're waiting for a full moon. Also we have 3 new interns in and the last one is leaving soon. He has helped me a lot with the library project, which btw we have a meeting tomorrow morning and will hopefully be getting some funding from USAID, so thank you America.

Otherwise I'm doing good. I hurt my foot swimming at some waterfalls on the coast last weekend but it's going away with time. I have lots of laundry to do as always and it's gotten really old doing it by hand... I also made a delicious chocolate cake (from a nice box sent by my grandmae) with strawberry icing, yummmm. I brought pieces around to my neighbors so that I wouldn't eat the whole thing by myself. I'm doing more art lately, well first off these giant murals, and then also some small sculptures at my house. I don't really have the tools or the time to do them up the way I'd like (I've been carving potatoes which smell bad after a day or two), so I'm making drawings of them to take home and hopefully I can finish them there.

Let me know how you all are doing, I miss you all so much!

Peace, Love,
Robin

Starting the Year Update

Sorry I haven't written in a while, but I'm still here and doing better than ever! There is so much to tell everyone. Well first off, the weather is nice right now, not too hot nor chilly and I made BBQ chicken (my favorite thing to cook here)and ate with some neighbors on Sunday. I went to a 2 year-olds birthday on Saturday, where I was the ONLY childless female in maybe 50 that showed up. And just recently I killed a cockroach in my kitchen, although it kind of looked like it's mother had breeded with a giant grasshopper, and it had wings...

I know that's what you all really want to know about, but now for the rest of it:
A couple weeks ago a group of volunteers came down from Wisconsin to help out with project for "Outreach for World Hope" NGO here and Jocotan and I helped translate. It was so great to spend time with them and hopefully I'll see some of them back soon enough. Here is a picture of me translating for the medical team they brought to a village.

The Library is doing swimmingly, what I mean by that is it's still moving along, hasn't drowned, but is more like doing a switch-off between the doggy-paddle and the Phelps Freestyle. Each week the project grows and each time I have to run behind it trying to grab funding, but it's exciting and I am very hopeful. I have presented it to the mayor and town council formally with a nice powerpoint and showing them the books you've sent me along with the other donations I have received. They were very convinced and added some changes of their own, and I represented it yesterday and had them sign a letter of responsability to begin as soon as possible. Also, after getting signed up with the Computers for Guatemala program I have solicited 7 computers in total now at $80 each. The price rose a little because I have a digital encyclopedia that has certian requirements above their standard $60 computer. I'm looking for headphones though because the program has sound and the computers don't come with speakers, so if you want to donate an old set of headphones or a computer email me! schick.robinmae@gmail.com

Also there are more books on the list, and several that are high-priority have not been bought. Please check it out (many are $10 or less) http://amzn.com/w/3LEFGDRF2T287

I'm also working with teaching communtiy groups how to make their own projects and organize better. I mostly work in a village called Tesoro Abajo, and the people there are so nice. I'm actually looking into living there for a week out of the month to work closer with them and surrounding communities.

I miss you all so much, and I know my remaining 9 monthes will fly by. Thank you so very much for your support as always and for keeping in touch by just reading this blog.

Peace and Love,
Robin

New Year Resolutions

January... wow time flies. So for probably the first time since I can remember I don't have a New Years Resolution, I didn't really think about it until now but I guess I do have a few things I'd like to accomplish this year. First and foremost is the Jocotán Library, which is coming along more or less. I just got in contact with a former Peace Corps volunteer who send computers to guatemala for just $60! so now I'm trying to fundraise to put 5 computers in the library which would be a miracle of a difference for the project. I am recieve new books each week, but there are still so many more they could use, like a complete encyclopedia. Luckily if I can get the commputers I have a digital encyclopedia software for free!
(If you would like to help send us a computer you can donate $60 at http://computersforguatemala.com "hint hint")
Other accomplishments for the year will include coming home for Thanksgiving, yes I consider it an accomplishment to eat turkey and deviled eggs at my parents house, and I hope one of these days I'll figure out what to do after all this :P

Oh! And a friend of mine, a volunteer, got caught by guatemala's version of "Candid Camera," it sounds hilarious, and you can read about it on his blog at; http://jnstaples.blogspot.com/

Miss you all sooo much,

Peace, Love,
Robin